Liam sherran metcalee



(No Model.)

2 SheetsSheet 1.

J. DENNIS, W. S. METGALFE & J. A. SHERMAN.

' MACHINE FOR MAKING ENVELOPES.

Patented Nov. 1'7, 1891.

WITNE. EEEEI- IN VENTU E.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. DENNIS, W. S. METGALPE & J. A. SHERMAN. MACHINE FOR MAKING ENVELOPES.

'menonms PEYERS cm, PHO10 L|THU., WASHINGTON UNITnI) STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH DENNIS, WILLIAM SHERRAN METCALFE, AND JOHN AMES SHERMAN,

OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS,ASSIGNORS TO THE XVHITCOMB EN- VELOPE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

MACHINE FOR MAKING ENVELOPE-S.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 463,399, dated November 17, 1891.

Application filed December 4, 1889. Serial No. 332,545. (No model.) v

To aZZ whom, it TILCLZ/COMCGPIL:

Be it known that we, JOSEPH DENNIS, WIL- LIAM SHERRAN METCALFE, and JOHN AMEs SHERMAN, all of WVorcester, county of Worcester, and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Making Envelopes, of which the following is a specification.

Our improvement relates to mechanism 'for to feeding blanks to the picker by which they are 'gummed. I

In the drawings, Figure l is a front elevation of a machine embodying our invention. Fig. 2 is a plan showing the paper-lifter. Fig. I 5 3 is a cross-section through the middle of the machine. l

A is the frame of the machine. A A A A are braces which hold the sides of the frame together. Each also serves as the fulcrum for various levers.

A is a cam-shaft, upon which is mounted various cams forgiving motion to the various parts of the machine. A pulley A is mounted to rotate freely on the shaft A and is con- 2 5 nected thereto, so as to cause said shaft to re tate by means of the friction-clutch A of ordinary construction, thrown into connection by means of the handle A in a manner too well understoodto require further description.

0 B is the paper-lifter on which theenvelope blanks, which have been previously cut to the desired shape, are placed to be fed to the picker. This lifter B is mounted upon uprights B, which slide vertically in guides B.

The upward movement of the lifter is imparted to it by means of the rack I), mounted upon one of the uprights B and moved upward by the pinion I), mounted on the shaft 6 This shaft carries a hand-wheel b at its outer extremity. It also carries a frictiondisk I), having a hub b which slides on a key 11 on the shaft 12 so that the friction-disk b is rotated by the shaft, but has a sliding motion in line with the axis of the shaft.

5 This hub b has a groove b aboutits periphery, in which sets a pin b mounted on the end of a small rookerarm b". The position of the hub is controlled by a spring 12 which forces the hub and its friction-disk against a hi3 which bears against a lever 6 the position suitable surface on the adjacent face of the ratchet-wheel I), this mechanism forming a clutch, so that the shaft 1) may be rotated by the ratchet-wheel b or not, as desired. This ratchet-wheel is moved by a pawl I), and its reverse motion is prevented bya second pawl 5 On the pawl Z1 is mounted a pin b,

of which is controlled by an eccentric b operated by a suitable handle, so that by the movement of this eccentric b and the lever Z9 the pawl Z7 may be thrown out from the ratchet-wheel and so the further operation of the ratchet and parts connected with it be prevented. To accomplish the same opera tion automatically when the paper-lifter has been lifted as high as isdesired, we mount the lever 17 upon the end of a rock-shaft 12 on the outer end of which is a crank-arm b having a crank-pin, on which is mounted a friction-roll I). These parts are so located with respect to a stop I), mounted on one of the uprights B that the stop will strike the roll I) when the paper-lifter has reached the upper extremity of its movement, thus throwing the lever b and disengaging the pawl Z2 The pawl 19 is mounted on the lever I)", having its fulcrum at 12 This lever b" is operated by the connecting-rod Z7 fastened to an arm Z1 projecting from the cross-bar G I This cross-bar G is connected by a short slotted connecting-rod G3 to the bentlever G having its fulcrum on the brace A and operated by a cam G on the cam-shaft A This cam and lever are for the purpose of giving to the cross-bar G a vertically-reciprocating movement, and hence giving to the parts connectedwith it their proper motion.

The clutch mechanism referred to, consisting of the friction-disk b and the parts connected to it, is such that when the parts are 0 in their normal position the ratchet-wheel 1) causes thefriction-wheel b to rotate, and thereby moves the various parts in the manner just referred to; but when the frictiondisk b is withdrawn from the ratchet-wheel 5 b by depressing the treadle I), which depresses the connecting-rod 17 and lever Z1 the paper-lifter B will be permitted to drop on its bed, from which it can be raised either by the use of the hand-wheel b or automatically by the operation of the cam G and its connecting parts. 5 The drawings show various other mechanisms, all going to make up a complete operative envelope-making machine, a large portion of which is of ourinvention. These portions of the machine, however, are not described here, it being unnecessary in view of the fact that they form part of another application for Letters Patent about to be filed in the United States Patent Oflice and have no bearing upon the present invention.

e are aware that a clutch has been heretofore interposed in an envelope-machine between a driving mechanism and a shaft, which is suitably connected to and operates a paper litter or elevator; but these prior devices, so far as we are aware, have mounted the ratchetwheel, which forms part of their driving mechanism, on a shaft carrying a worm which meshes into a gear on the elevatorlifting shaft. Our device differs from these, in that our ratchet is directly mounted on the elevator-shaft, and hence its surface can be used as one member of a clutch, of which the other member is also mounted on the same shaft, the two being operated substantially as dcscribed, thus doing away with the worm, gear, and shaft, which, so far as we are aware, have hitherto been considered necessary in such cases.

That we claim as our invention is In combination with a vertically-moving blankdifter, mechanism for operating it, consisting of a rack I), attached thereto, a pinion b, shaft 19 clutch b and its releasing mechanism, ratchet b, and pawl 12 with its operating mechanism, said clutch b, said ratchet b and said pinion b all being mounted on the same shaft, all as and for the purposes set forth. 7

In testimony whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names this 27th day of Novemher, A. D. 1889.

JOSEPH DENNIS. WILLIAM SHERRAN METCALFE. JOHN AMES SHERMAN.

Witnesses:

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN SOUTHWICK, FREDERIC ALBERT WARDEN. 

